Text by: Marcelo Gomes
After an 8-year absence from Brazil, on June 6th, the industrial metal legend Fear Factory returned to São Paulo with their "The Machine Will Rise Again 2023" tour for an exclusive show at Fabrique Club. Despite being scheduled for a Tuesday, the São Paulo audience did not disappoint, showing up in force for the event, which also featured performances by the legendary Korzus and Skin Culture.
With 19 years in the business, Skin Culture , formed by Shuck Miranda (vocals), Fred Barros (guitar), and Diego Santiago (bass), featured Chris Oliveira on drums, son of drummer Rodrigo Oliveira (Korzus). Promptly at 7:30 PM, the quartet began with "Fall On Knees," and the influence of groove metal, industrial, and thrash metal in the band's composition was immediately apparent. In 40 minutes, the quartet played songs like "Set Me Free," which featured Sergio Ogres on backing vocals, "Bring Me Back To Life," dedicated to former bassist Gabriel Morata and former manager Silvio Palmeira , who passed away due to Covid-19, "Devil 19," highlighting guitarist Fred's beautiful arpeggios, among others that allowed the still-arriving audience to feel the fury of the band, which plays a modern and very well-executed sound.
With the venue much fuller, the veterans of Korzus showed why they are still one of the great references of the style in our country. When Marcello Pompeu (vocals), Dick Siebert (bass), Rodrigo Oliveira (drums), Heros Trench (guitar) and Antônio Araújo (guitar) took the stage at Fabrique Club, nothing was left standing. The devastating sequence of “Guilty Silence”, “Raise Your Soul” and “You Can’t Stop Me” turned the dance floor into a real pandemonium. That was enough for the quintet to have the band's name shouted by everyone. “As long as there is a happy headbanger at the show, metal will be alive,” says the vocalist before announcing “Never Die”.
The onslaught continued with “Beware,” “Namesake,” and “What Are You Looking For,” and once again the band received a standing ovation. Then, Pompeu interrupted the moment and asked the fans to chant “ole, ole, ole Korzus,” which was immediately obeyed by everyone. The final block of the show, with “Discipline Of Hate,” “Truth,” and “Correria,” besides being very energetic, led to a large portion of the audience singing the verses in Portuguese during the latter. Little talking and lots of music marked Korzus' performance, which, at the peak of their 40 years on the road, proved stronger than ever.
With a 25-minute delay, at 9:55 PM, Fear Factory took the stage at the nearly full Fabrique Club to introduce their new vocalist. Currently formed by Dino Cazares (guitar), Tony Campos (bass), Pete Webber (drums), and newcomer Milo Silvestro on vocals, they presented a repertoire that spanned their entire career; however, the big question that lingered in the air was how vocalist Milo would sound at the forefront of the band.
They opened with “Shock” and it didn’t take long for the charismatic Milo to win over even the most hardcore fans. With a breathtaking performance, the band showcased career classics like “Powershifter”, “Linchpin”, and “Archetype” that left fans breathless and eager for more. They also performed the track “Disruptor” from their most recent album, Aggression Continuum (2022), which was very well received.
The band seemed like a steamroller, and the audience responded wildly with circle pits on the floor, singing along to every phrase Milo uttered. The vocalist often handed the microphone to the fans who crowded in front of the stage to help him with the vocals.
The show continues with the classics “Demanufacture” and “Zero Signal.” A pause to introduce the band, which receives warm applause. The show can't stop, and Dino quotes the verses of “Replica,” which is sung by everyone. The guitarist seems dissatisfied and spots a white-bearded gentleman in the back of the house. “We'll only continue if he sings too,” Cazares jokes.
The atmosphere between the band and the audience was so great that they didn't even leave the stage for the encore. They went back to 1992 with the track "Martyr," and guitarist Dino Cazares dedicated the song to Sepultura and the Cavalera , who gave the band their first big opportunity to tour the United States. The performance was drawing to a close with "Scapegoat" and "Resurrection," which ignited the fans one last time. They said goodbye, and it was clear that the choice of new members, Milo Silvestro and Pete Webber, was a perfect fit for the band, which delivered an explosive show full of classics, thrilling even the nostalgic fans of former vocalist Burn C Bell .
Check out the photos taken by our contributor Wellington Penilha . Swipe to the side to see the complete gallery (if you can't access it, click here ):
